Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Homemade Knu-Pac
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Hank |
Here is a real one: I searched the archives and found some great discussions. AndyM used to be a fan, are you still? I'm thinking of removing the u-shaped extension bar from my pack and using oar locks as the U-bracket that fits over the thwart. The canoe I'm using is a Mohawk 16' fiberglass and weighs about 67#. I can get the oar locks for amazon for about $15, so no big deal if it doesn't work. Anyone have any thoughts or experience to share? Thanks! |
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paddler1953 |
BTW...all the trips these portage packs have been on are in the Adirondacks so they've seen lots of carries. While occasionally one does break, they can usually be fixed with some duct tape and ingenuity while on the trail. That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well. snapper |
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Hank |
How did you like portaging with the setup? |
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andym |
I'm still thinking of replacing our yokes with a thwart that might drop into the U's a bit easier. I'd be interested in seeing the PVC setup if a pic is handy. I remember some discussion by people who had used oarlocks. Seems like an easy way to go. Someone else on the forum mentioned that they have been 3D printing the U pieces. That was fairly recently. |
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SevenofNine |
One problem is the amount of storage the pack itself lacked. It has two separated pockets a large main one and a small bottom (sleeping bag) pocket. I couldn’t fit my tent (REI half dome) in my pack so it was strapped to the outside. Even then I still needed more space for gear like a traditional portage pack. What I see from your photo is yours is a larger pack. Eventually I came to realize I didn’t want to solo portage with it. There was too much weight with the canoe on it for me to comfortably carry everything. I didn’t like the lack of space and I wanted a food pack of some kind. Just to name some complaints. Here’s my pack. |
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andym |
Last trip I did double portage with a daypack strapped to the KnuPac frame and then used one of the KnuPac not really a frame rigs to carry on the second trip. |
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SevenofNine |
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Hank |
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jwartman59 |
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andym |
I noticed that similar ropes were also used by BeaV and others in the challenge on the longer portages. The rope should actually be pretty taught and doesn't present any tripping hazard. It makes portaging much nicer. Having your arms up while resting the boat on your shoulders is seriously bad ergonomics according to a friend who is an arm specialist. Knupac provided a plastic buckle to connect a bow and stern rope. So, if any problem does occur (like once or twice putting the canoe down with my body between the hull and the rope, you just unclip. But you learn not to do that pretty quickly. I almost always pickup and put down the boat on the same side. I have no problem putting the boat down. I generally just wade in and do it in the water but it is not a problem on land, either. I've fallen with a canoe on a Knupac without serious injury. It might be a tinier bit harder to untangle oneself than just a normal portage approach but nothing serious. In my younger days, I definitely used this system to single portage with somewhat over 100 lb and only weighed about 160 lb. But there is no reason that the canoe can't be carried with the frame and just a little weight in a daypack (just take the knupac bag off and strap the daypack to the frame) and then double portage with any other pack. I did that on my last trip due to a friend with back issues who asked that we double portage. And I sort of liked it. Now that I'm 58, I might just keep doing it that way. |
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Hank |
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Hank |
Andym, could you measure the gap and the height of the Knu-pac carrying brackets and post it here? I think I'll make some out of 3/4" PVC and would like to get the dimensions right. Thanks all for you input. I've had fun with this so far. |
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andym |
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andym |
Look for a thread where some one 3D printed some. They must have the measurements. |
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Hank |
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yellowcanoe |
The reason for the injury? And it could have been very bad. The yoke became disengaged on one side during the fall and jammed between seat and yoke. I fell in a very contorted position and there was no one around at all.. ( never saw a soul in two weeks). It was a beast to work out of the entire contraption. That said tandem canoes don't have the same peril of jamming and with two people there is help available. |
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andym |
paddler1953, thanks for the description. |
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andym |
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Oneofmanyblessings |
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Hank |
One concern I have is putting too much weight in the pack. My canoe is 63#. If I put 40# in the pack, then I'm carrying 103# down the trail. That seems a lot as I only weight 160 #. But I often carry two packs and I'm sure they weigh that, at least in the beginning of the trip. It goes down as the food is used up/ I like to try new things. I'll attach some pictures when I get the oarlocks and get the pack setup. I guess my neighbors will get a laugh as I march up and down the street with a canoe! |
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Hank |
Let me see, so there are a number of ways to get the thing in the braces. The easiest is probably to have two people do it. One to lift the canoe and the person with the pack to walk under and get the brackets on the thwart. One person can do it. You can either lean the canoe up against a tree (like one did with the old bar canoe rests) or you can ground the front end (deck down) and lift the back up and get under it that way. The canoe I would use it on has aluminum decks so I'm not concerned about messing it up that way. On the system I'm building the canoe would ride, maybe 6" above where in normally would. I don't see that as an issue at all. Some use a string from the front to the back of the canoe to hold it level so you can walk with you hands down, or carry stuff in your off hand. You could always just keep your arms up holding the gunnels as you normally do. The canoe isn't locked it the brackets. If you fall you can throw it clear I suppose. This design has been around for many years and I've never heard of a tale where someone fell and snapped their neck or whatever. This isn't for everyone. But again, I like to try new stuff. I might find it sucks. But I have a 20 year old external frame backpack that hasn't been used for years. Why not give it a go? |
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paddler1953 |
As for what they look like, I'm sorry to say I don't have a photo and they're all stored in the Adirondacks in the facilities equipment room; and I'm down in the central part of NYS. That being said, our support bracket comes up on one side; not from the middle. We build up, across for the thwart and then up again to hold it in; I hope that makes sense. One last thing...when the Knu-Pac was initially introduced I got a phone call from the guy who started the business, wondering if I might be interested in buying his product. He was a bit crestfallen when I told him we were already doing the same thing but with PVC pipe. Never heard from him again... That's all for now. Take care and until next time....be well. snapper PS - Full disclosure...in all the years we've been using this set-up in our program, I've never carried a canoe other than for demonstration purposes. My solo is a lightweight canoe so I've never needed anything other than the yoke that came with the boat (LOL). |
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AlSG |
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